Apple Reloads Patent Portfolio and Takes Aim at Samsung (Again)

If the ammunition you're using to try and take down your prey isn't getting the job done, you can either hunt different game or try different ammo. Apple has chosen the latter as it continues to chase Samsung through various courts around the world. According to reports, Apple added a pair of patents to its portfolio, which it's using to try and convince a California judge to ban sales of Samsung's smartphones and tablets.

Citing documents filed in San Jose federal court, PaidContent.org says Apple is firing rounds at Samsung using newly-granted U.S. Patents 8,074,172 and 8,086,604. The first of those deals with spelling and auto-correct functions when hovering over letters a user is typing. It's less clear what exactly the second patent describes, other than some heuristic algorithm mumbo-jumbo that might be beneficial to search engines.

Samsung is proving to be Apple's Moby Dick. The Cupertino company was recently denied a request for a preliminary injunction against Samsung's Galaxy tablet, but that was based on design patents. This new approach focuses on utility patents, a change in strategy Apple hopes will lead to a different outcome.

I guess I just don't really see how this patent thing works. Apple just gets the newly-granted patents, yet can sue Samsung for something they are already making, and is being marketed at this time?

I thought you had the patents first....then people would have to pay you for your new innovative ideas,Or are certain patents retro-active? This just sounds like not all the facts of this case are here.

All this does is give me one more reason to not buy any Apple product, I think they are seriouly damaging their reputation with this constant vendetta against Samsung it makes them look like the kid in the school yard who gets mad about some little imagined slight and leaves taking his ball home with him.